A good reel mower not only saves the user money because they no longer have to buy oil, gas and air filters on a regular basis but also helps save the environment. And that’s why so many people are looking for, and buying, the best reel mower they can buy. These lawn tools are an investment that continues to pay off for the homeowner, as well as the environment, year after year.
Before a homeowner can reap all of the benefits afforded by these push mowers, however, they have to do their homework and find the best reel mower possible. One that will make yard work simple. To help these people out, I’ve selected ten of the best models currently available. Models that will do a good job of cutting the grass.
10. Greenworks 16-Inch Mower With Grass Catcher (25052)
This mower has quite a few features which make it a useful yard tool to keep around the house. It has a 16-inch cutting path that makes short work of lawns and can be used with a rear bag to collect the clippings or can be used for mulching the grass. This tool provides up to 4-different height adjustments that allow homeowners to set the height from 1-1/8th-inch to 2-1/4th-inch, so they can customize their grass cutting experience. This model also has 10-inch front wheels and 2-inch rear rollers that make it easy to push over a variety of different lawns.
9. Scotts 20-Inch Class Lawn Mower
This classic push lawn mower has a number of features which make it the ideal solution for tough to cut lawns. For example, this 20-inch mower has 9 grass heights to choose from and can be adjusted from 1-inch to 3-inch cuts using quick-snap adjusters. This model also has 10-inch dual-tracking wheels and radial tires that allow it to easily move over grass without breaking the user’s back. Other features found on this yard tool include 5 steel blades that have been heat-treated and quickly cut through grass without bruising it and a ball-bearing reel.
8. Remington RM3100 18-Inch Mower
This durable mower is for homeowners who don’t want to spend a fortune on a grass cutting tool but still wants a model that’s durable and will get the job done. This model has an 18-inch cutting path that makes it great for light to medium yard work and has a 5-blade adjustable reel that easily cuts through grass. This unit can be used to either mulch the grass or fitted with a bag to collect the clippings and it has an adjustable cutting height that can be set from 0.75-inch to 2.5-inches. All of the features make this mower an environmentally friendly tool that gets the job of lawn cutting done.
7. Sun Joe 20-Inch Mower With Catcher (MJ502M)
This manual mower makes short work of grass cutting and does so without polluting the environment. This 20-inch mower is just the right sized for smaller lawns and can be set to 1 of 9 different heights to cut the grass to the exact height needed. It has two 10-inch wheels and two 6-inch wheels that give this tool the ability to quickly navigate over just about any lawn. It also has a 6.6-gallon grass catcher that attaches and detaches easily, depending on whether they want to use this mower to mulch the grass or to bag it. Which makes this maintenance-free mower ideal for someone who doesn’t want to fuss over the lawn cutting duties.
6. Earthwise 16-Inch 7-Blade Mower (1715-16EW)
This cylinder mower is a combination of power, precision, and efficiency and does a good job at cutting bent grasses such as St. Augustine, Bermuda or Zoysia grasses. Unlike rotary mowers which tend to hack or bruise blades of grass, this mower gently snips them instead and improves the look of the lawn. It features a 7-blade reel with ball bearings that provide a 16-inch cutting width that makes short work of grass cutting. It also has a reel and bed knife blade made from tempered alloy steel and its height can be adjusted from 1/2-inch to up to 2.5-inches.
5. Scotts 16-Inch Elite Lawnmower (415-16S)
Equipped with a number of exciting features which make it useful to just about anyone who wants a beautiful lawn, this lawn mower is sure to be a welcome addition to any tool storage shed. It cuts a 16-inch wide path and can be adjusted from 1/2-inch to 2.5-inches, so homeowners can not only get their lawn care duties finished quickly but can also cut it according to their preferences. This mower also has a T-style handle that has cushioned grips which make it easy on the user’s hands as they do their yard work and has 10-inch wheels that can easily maneuver just about any lawn.
4. Gardena 15-Inch Silent Lawnmower (4023)
This easy-to-use and very efficient mower has a number of features which make it a good choice for anyone who wants to get their grass cutting done quickly. This mower is not only quiet due to its non-contact blades, but is also easy to push and steer thanks to its large 10-inch wheels. Users can adjust it to cut at a variety of different cutting heights and has a ground bottom blade that makes for a very precise cut. It also has a handle that can be taken apart, so it can be put into a car or trailer or stored away for the season in a shed.
3. American Lawn Mower 14-Inch 4-Blade Lawnmower (1204-14)
Reliability, power, and convenience can all be found in this 4-blade mower. It cuts a 14-inch wide path through the grass and is ideal for small yards or for cleaning up problem areas left by a larger mower. It has a tempered alloy steel reel that cuts with scissor-like precision against the bed knife blade. It has 8.5-inch diameter polymer wheels that are durable and allow for easy turning, and this mower is adjustable from 1/2-inch to 1.75-inch cutting height. And since this mower only weighs 19-pounds, it’s light and easy to use, even on a regular basis.
2. Great States 14-Inch 5-Blade Lawnmower (304-14)
Lightweight and designed for smaller yards, this manual lawnmower has many of the features that lawn cutting enthusiasts look in a grass cutting tool. It cuts a 14-inch wide path through the grass and is easy to turn thanks to its 10-inch composite wheels. The height at which it cuts grass can be adjusted from 1-inch to 1.75-inches and its heat-treated blades are designed to stay sharper for longer periods of time. And since it has a zinc plated handle that’s corrosion resistant and covered with plastic grips, this mower is designed to give the user many seasons of lawn cutting.
1. Fiskars 17-Inch Stay Sharp Lawnmower (6208)
With an innovative design that makes it thirty percent easier to push and with fifty percent more power than many comparable non-powered mowers, this Fiskars mower is sure to be a pleasant surprise for homeowners who use it. It has a 17-inch cutting path and an Inertia Drive reel that allows it to power through tough grasses and weeds and get the grass cutting done quickly. And its Stay Sharp Cutting System is designed in such a way that it cuts the grass without the blades coming into contact with one another and thereby reducing friction and blade wear.
Guide To The Best Reel Mowers
Reel mowers go by a variety of different names—sometimes they’re called cylinder mowers, other times they’re called push mowers, or even manual mowers. No matter what you call them, however, there is one undeniable fact about these mowers. They are easier on the environment than just about any other mower manufactured. And because of manufacturers adding new features to them, they’re a lot easier to handle than the reel mowers of the past.
Although when some people think of reel mowers they think of the rusty and dangerous machines that were used by their grandparents, and which required a tetanus shot just to operate, modern reel mowers are a whole different animal. They’re safer, sturdier, and easier to use than those older models, and because of their improved nature, we recommend them highly. They’re just great machines to cut your grass with.
To show our readers just how handy the best reel mowers can be to use, and to tell them of the features they should be considering when they’re buying a new one, we decided to write this little guide. Hopefully, it will give you and all our readers the information they need to incorporate a reel lawnmower into their grass cutting routine.
The Advantages Of A Reel Lawnmower
Yes, we can hear what some of you are thinking: Why buy a reel mower when there are great gas-powered and electric lawnmowers available? And believe us, we understand where some of you are coming from, but we firmly believe that reel mowers can be used by everyone. Let us take a few moments to explain why.
The first benefit of using a reel lawn mower is that it doesn’t pollute the environment as gasoline-powered models do. It doesn’t require gas, oil and doesn’t produce one single cloud of smoke. Another thing to like about these machines is that they’re virtually silent and they require very little maintenance. And because many of them are equipped with folding handles, they’re also very easy to store away for the winter. The best thing about these mowers, however, is that they do an amazing job of cutting the grass—if the user is willing to put in a little bit of extra work.
So if you’re environmentally conscious and don’t have a large yard to mow, then you might want to consider a reel mower. You should also consider getting a reel mower if you want a backup for your gas mower, or simply need a tool that you can pull out of your garage for quick lawn touchups. After all, these mowers are inexpensive enough that the homeowner can buy one even if they already have a gas or electric mower.
Choosing The Best Reel Mower For You
Now that we’ve decided that just about everyone should own one of these lawnmowers, it’s time to turn our attention to some of the features that you’re going to want to consider before you buy a new reel mower. If you keep the following features in mind when choosing one of these mowers, then you greatly increase your odds of choosing a great reel push lawnmower.
Consider Cutting Width
Probably the biggest factor that will determine how fast the mower will cut your grass is the cutting width of the mower. The cutting widths of reel mowers start at about 14-inches and go all the way up to 20-inches in size. The larger the cutting width, the more grass the mower will be able to cut at one time. However, it’s important to keep in mind that just because a mower has a large cutting width doesn’t mean that it’s the best one for you. You should always weight the mower’s cutting width against its other features to make sure the reel mower is a good fit for you.
Consider An Adjustable Cutting Height
Although not all reel mowers have adjustable cutting heights, the ones that do are extremely useful for helping the homeowner cut their grass exactly the way they want to cut it. If you don’t need one with an adjustable cutting height that’s fine, but if you do, then be sure to get one that can be adjusted from 1/2-inch to 2-3/4-inches for the best results.
Consider The Number Of Blades
The average reel mower has between 4 and 8 cutting blades, with 4-blades being equipped on basic models and 8-blades being equipped on more advanced models. As you probably realize, the more blades the mower has, the more powerful it can cut. More blades mean that it can cut thicker grass, so if you have thick St. Augustine grass, for example, then you’ll want to get a 7 or 8-blade model. If your grass in on the thinner end of the spectrum, then you can probably make do with a model that only has 4 or 5-blades.
However, keep in mind that the more blades a mower has, the harder it can be to push it. Therefore, you need to balance cutting power and ease-of-convenience to determine how many blades you want on the mower. Just keep one more thing in mind, however, before you make your final decision. The more blades found on a lawnmower, the more blades you will have to sharpen, so keep that in mind.
Consider Wheel Size
Wheel size is another important consideration. Look for models that have at least 10-inch wheels for the best results. Large wheels allow the mower to navigate the grass easier, which saves the person pushing it a little bit of work.
Additional Features To Think About
The above points are the most important things to consider before purchasing a reel mower, but they’re not the only things that you can consider. There are a few optional features that can make the mower a lot easier to use, and we’ve listed some of these features below for our reader’s convenience.
- Fold-Up Handles
- Tool-Free Assembly
- Reel Mower Grass Catchers
- Cushioned T-Style Handles
- Heat-Treated Alloy Blades
- Ball-Bearing Wheels
- Stay-Sharp Cutting Systems
- Inertia-Drive Reels
